A new year… but why do I feel so fed up?
A new year… but why do I feel so fed up?
The start of a new year often begins well; with lots of hopes and optimism for the new year. The usual goals of eating better, losing weight and reducing how much alcohol we drink. However; if you are experiencing menopausal symptoms getting motivated to make any changes can be really difficult.
Life is challenging enough and going through the menopause can be one of the biggest challenges. Menopausal symptoms can make you feel old, tired and really really fed up. But why and how?
Firstly; you have got through Christmas and being superwomen takes its toll. Often meaning everyone else’s needs were met but what about yours? All the decorations are down, energy bills are soaring and there is no sign of Spring; no wonder you feel fed up but let’s focus more on the menopause.
I talk to menopausal women every day and there is a common theme; that is feeling low, sad, fed up, joylessness and wondering “will I ever feel better again? The answer is yes. You can feel happy, motivated, less anxious and enjoy life again. I’m not talking about skipping down the street but waking up each day with optimism and hope that today will be better than yesterday. However; hormones well lack of them often steals this optimism and can surround us with a dark cloud that we just can’t shift.
It’s quite normal to feel like this but when you understand what’s happening and why, the “penny drops” and that dark cloud is replaced with clarity. Hormone levels are up and down most of the time; depending our age, your periods and how stressed and anxious you are. Hormones drop and our ovaries stop producing our female hormones increasing the symptoms we associate with menopause. There is more to menopause that hot flushes and sleepless nights. What about the feelings of dread, the inability to make a decision and where has my confidence gone?
We can’t prevent our ovaries from packing up but we can receive the same hormones and put them back into our bodies. Yes; HRT. I prescribe HRT to women all over the UK. And I take it too. It certainly helped me! The first sign I wasn’t myself and I got started on HRT; the rest is history.
If you can’t take HRT (there aren’t many women who can’t) or you choose not to there is a lot you can do. We all have to look after ourselves and live as healthy life as we can (remember our plans for the 2023?).
